MoD Pushes 'Owned by India' in Draft DAP 2026 for Speedier, Self-Reliant Acquisitions
Defence Ministry releases draft DAP 2026 to replace 2020 version, prioritising IP ownership, faster buys, and domestic design to strengthen self-reliance.
The Ministry of Defence has released the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026 for public and stakeholder feedback, aiming to overhaul India's capital procurement framework for military equipment, platforms, and systems. Released on February 10, 2026, the draft seeks to replace the existing DAP 2020 and aligns with the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by emphasizing faster acquisitions, greater self-reliance, force modernization, and the growth of the domestic defence ecosystem. The document, including a handbook on guidelines and annexures, is available on the MoD website (mod.gov.in), with comments invited via email to secy-dap2025[at]gov[dot]in or tmls-mod[at]nic[dot]in in PDF or MS Word format by March 3, 2026.
A key shift in the draft is the move from the conventional “Made in India” model to an “Owned by India” approach, prioritizing full ownership of intellectual property (IP), source codes, system architecture, hardware layouts, and upgrade pathways by Indian entities. This codifies technology sovereignty, moving beyond local manufacturing or technology transfers to ensure India retains control over critical design elements, obsolescence management, and independent upgrades. The policy positions India as a potential “design powerhouse,” focusing on co-development, indigenous design retention, and incentives for innovation, while easing financial and experience criteria to encourage startups and private sector participation.
To accelerate procurement and reduce delays, the draft proposes streamlined approval processes, delegation of decision-making authority, revamped trials and quality assurance mechanisms, and aggressive digitization and automation of procedures. It introduces exclusive fast-track mechanisms for equipment with short technological cycles, spiral design and procurement for major platforms, early exploitation of modern technologies before bulk orders, and pragmatic evaluation of Indigenous Content (IC) and Indigenous Design (ID). The focus remains on institutional preference for the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category—Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured—to boost domestic production and scale capabilities.
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The proposed changes address evolving geo-strategic challenges, economic growth, human capital skilling, and the rise of private defence industry players, while tackling obsolescence as a primary future concern over budget constraints. Once finalized, DAP 2026 will govern capital acquisitions starting from the next financial year, including the ₹2.19 lakh crore budgeted for FY27, and is expected to enhance jointness among armed forces, integration, and overall self-reliance in defence.
Stakeholders, including industry representatives, defence organizations, and the public, are encouraged to provide structured feedback to shape the final policy. The release marks a significant step in India's push toward technological independence and efficient modernization of its armed forces amid a rapidly changing global security environment.
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